Parents' Page

Our Mission

The Kids’ Nite Out Across America® program was founded in 1991 in Westminster, Colorado with a simple mission: Provide parents with a safe environment where their children ages 8 to 14 can participate in an exciting age-appropriate program, keeping them active, and allow them to have fun!

Today that mission still applies. Each month, we serve over 15,000 kids – and, with our nationwide expansion, that number is growing rapidly! We provide an active, community-positive program for children that is supervised by caring adults.

Our Program

A Kids’ Nite Out Across America® program is a partnership between a community facility (recreation center, YMCA, JCC, school, church, etc.) and a Kids’ Nite Out Across America® franchisee. Our programs usually run from 7 pm to 10:30 pm on either Friday or Saturday nights throughout the school year and are open to kids ages 8 to 14. Admission at most locations is $10 per child, and kids may purchase food, beverages and snacks.

We have a wide variety of activities for kids to choose from, with most taking place in the gym area and in the dance room.

In the gym, we run games and contests like basketball, scooter hockey, dodgeball, lacrosse, soccer, kickball, football, and relay races. We also have inflatables, which can include a bounce house, a giant slide, a human slingshot, or an obstacle course.

In the dance room, the kids can cut loose to their favorite songs. Disc jockeys are hired and trained and play only music that has been pre-approved, edited, and deemed appropriate. The DJ runs dance contests and games throughout the night to encourage the kids to participate.

If a facility has an indoor pool, two hours of each night may be used for swimming and water games. We hire lifeguards to keep everyone safe while our counselors get the kids involved in various water game and activities.

One of the highlights of every Kids’ Nite Out Across America® program is the opportunity to win prizes or candy cards. These cards may be given for participating in games and contests, showing good sportsmanship, answering trivia questions, or for just being in the right place at the right time!

Safety

It’s great to see kids being active and having fun with their friends. While their enjoyment is very important, what’s even more important is their safety while in the Kids’ Nite Out Across America® program.

All of our counselors are subjected to a criminal and sex-offender background check prior to being hired and trained. Our program include providing a maximum staffing ratio of 20:1 (kids to counselors), and having a uniformed police officer on duty at all times.


Community, Pediatrician and Parent Endorsement

Schools and city councils have given their support to the Kids’ Nite Out Across America^® program. Community leaders agree that there are few social opportunities for the 8 to 14 year old age group, and our program is designed to meet that need.

Pediatricians find value in programs that promote physical activity. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “regular physical activity should be protected within families, schools, and communities.”* At Kids’ Nite Out Across America^®, we find fun ways to keep kids active. Whether they’re playing dodgeball in the gym, dancing to their favorite tunes, or playing water games, they’re getting the exercise they need with the excitement and variety that they want. And – through our random trivia games – we even help them exercise their brains!

Finally, parents praise the program for many reasons. They feel reassured that their children will be in a safe, secure environment and also enjoy the fact that their kids will be involved all evening, getting the exercise and social interaction that they need. And last, but not least, parents get a night out of their own!

*From Prevention of Pediatric Overweight and Obesity, Pediatrics. 2003;112:424-430

TESTIMONIALS:

“Kids’ Nite Out Across America^® is a fantastic program for kids! My two boys have both been attending KNO for the past two years and can’t get enough of it! They get a fun night out with their friends each weekend and feel so grown up without me or my husband around. I love it because I know that they will be safe and will have a great time, and I get a night out too! Thank you!”

- Mrs. Patricia Crowley
Lakewood, Colorado

“…I feel that having this program offered in any community is an asset. It provides healthy activities for the kids and allows them to interact with children their own age…..I would strongly recommend any community who does not have a Kids’ Nite Out Across America^® program to investigate on how to bring it to their own town or city. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved!”

- Michelle Ellerman
Police Officer
Boulder, Colorado

To learn more about our program, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.